Pregnancy Tests, Beta’s, & U/S’s, Oh My!

It’s hard to believe that it has been 6 weeks since we transferred the sweet little embryo. Since my last update about transfer day, there have been pregnancy tests, blood work, and ultrasounds galore so I have a lot of exciting updates to catch up on!

At 4DPT (4 days post transfer) I started to pee on ALL of the sticks! I will not disclose how many pregnancy tests I took because well… the number would be quite embarrassing, lol. On day 4, I woke up and took a pregnancy test that I had ordered from Amazon which I read was just as sensitive as the FRER (First Response Early Response) pregnancy tests. I was hoping for at least a squinter, but it was 100% negative. I hopped on to my transfer Facebook group (A group of gestational carriers that transferred in the months of April, May, and June), and asked if the FRER tests are truly the best tests. Everyone said yes and they typically got their first squinter on day 4. I went to Walmart, picked up a pack of 3, and headed to the bathroom. I took a test, waited 3 long dreadful minutes, and OMG, IS THAT A LINE?! There was an incredibly incredibly light line. Like, you had to super squint, but it was there! I couldn’t believe it! Even though it was nearly impossible to photograph the light line, I still tried, and excitedly sent the photo to the Intended Dad!

Over the next few days, I took a test in the morning and the evening to see the line progression. As your HCG levels rise, the test line should get a lot darker. Sure enough, the lines were getting darker and darker. By 9DPT, the test line was darker than the control line!

At 13DPT, I went in for my first beta! It’s a blood test that detects your HCG level and it’s expected to double by my second blood test at 15DPT. At 13DPT it was 1280 and at 15DPT it was 2580! With those amazing results, I was scheduled for the heartbeat confirmation which is an ultrasound done at 6 weeks.

The day before the 6wk ultrasound, we had quite a scare! I was sitting at the bottom of my stairs chatting with my daughter when I suddenly felt a gush of blood. I ran to the bathroom and felt a second gush of blood. Thanks to the Facebook support group that I am in, I have read many stories about something called a Subchorionic Hematoma (SCH) that can cause a lot of bleeding. Interestingly, many people experience bleeding right around 6 weeks. I was 6 weeks, 1 day. Knowing about SCH’s, I took comfort knowing that it could quite possibly be one. I immediately text the IF then called my nurse and left a message. I’m sure the IF was expecting the worse. Even though the thought of losing the baby was in the back of my mind, I kept telling myself it’s just an SCH.

The following morning, I went in for the 6wk ultrasound. I was really nervous because of the bleeding that I had the previous day. I looked up at the ultrasound screen and saw a beautiful fluttering heart. It was absolutely amazing. The baby was so small that it was just a little tiny circle with the tiniest little fluttering heart. The heartbeat was 116 BPM which was perfect and measuring perfectly on track. The doctor confirmed that I DID have a moderate sized SCH which explained the bleeding that I had. The doctor explained that it can possibly cause more bleeding or my body may just start to absorb it without causing any other bleeding. I was cleared to go on vacation the following week and was scheduled for another ultrasound at 7w4d.

At 7w4d, I went in for another ultrasound. Once again, we saw a beautiful little fluttering heart. This time, the baby looked less like a circle and looked about twice the size from the previous week! The HB was 154 which again was perfect and once again measuring right on track at 7w4d. That morning before the appointment, the IF text me and told me that he was excited but apprehensive about the appointment. I really can’t imagine the crazy emotions that an Intended Parent goes through. With previous losses, I imagine it’s hard to be excited and I can only imagine the anxiety with each appointment. I was so thankful that Shady Grove Fertility took a video and left it up on the screen for me to record so I could send it to the IF. At the 6wk appointment, the doctor took a photo of the baby and put “Hi Dad!” on the photo for him.

I had such a great experience with SGF but I was so excited that after that appointment, I ‘graduated’ from Shady Grove! I no longer need to be seen by SGF and can now start prenatal care with my OB office! My first appointment with my midwife (who happens to be the same midwife that delivered my two boys!) is on 7/19. I will be 10 weeks and 1 day pregnant when I see her. I will likely have an ultrasound done at the first appointment and I can’t wait to see how much the baby has grown!

Today, I am 8w3d pregnant! I have stopped progesterone injections (YAY!), and now have two weeks of suppositories then stop all medications on 7/19! I am really looking forward to being off all medications and having a ‘normal’ pregnancy! Overall, I’m feeling pretty great and looking forward to every future milestone! I’m so incredibly excited for the IF and I can’t wait for him to meet his precious little Valentines baby! Our due date is 2/13/2020!

Below are a few photos over the past 6 weeks! The very first pregnancy test, the line progression, and more! Grow baby, grow!